


Short tempered in more ways than one

by octavias



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-17 15:36:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5876350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/octavias/pseuds/octavias
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Octavia Blake is not a tall person okay? But there is no way in hell she's letting a bookshelf do her in. </p><p>Written for the prompt “I’m too short to reach the top shelf and too stubborn to get a stool. You watched me take a running leap for it before you offered to grab the book for me.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Short tempered in more ways than one

**Author's Note:**

> Because everyone needs some modern AU linctavia in their life

_Why do they make these things so goddamn high?_ Octavia Blake is not a tall person okay. And that has often worked to her advantage. She doesn't have to stoop to enter doorways, and she can wear heels without the fear of towering over people. But right now she is cursing the fact that she isn't an eight foot fucking giant.

 

She huffs in frustration and stretches onto the tips of her toes, she cranes her entire body in the direction of the top shelf and she’s _so_ close. She can almost touch the book. Octavia grunts and resists the urge to put her fist through the nearest wall. There’s probably a stool around somewhere that she could use, but fuck that. There is no way in hell she’s letting a fucking bookshelf do her in.

 

Octavia takes a few steps back and glares at the faded red and blue spine of “Simester and Sullivan’s Criminal Law; Theory and Doctrine”. She’s getting her hands on that book if it fucking _kills_ her. Without further thought she runs straight at the bookshelf and leaps for the book. She almost had it. It was literally in her grasp, before gravity started working and dragged her down to the ground. _Bitch_. She hit her wrist on the way down and she finds herself wincing as pain runs up her arm.

 

“You, ahh need a hand?” Comes a quiet voice from somewhere on her right. She turns to find a guy awkwardly scratching the back of his neck and looking down at his feet. He’s wearing a black shirt, stretched tight over his, admittedly very fine, chest and he has a bunch of tattoos covering his arms and neck. He lifts his head to meet her gaze and Octavia can’t help but swoon slightly. He’s tall, dark and handsome, and she’s pretty sure he’s blushing just a little.

 

He raises his eyebrows, and she realises she hasn't actually said anything yet.

“Yeah!” she says quickly and way too loudly considering she’s in the middle of a library. “I could definitely use some help.”

He just laughs, low and deep and the sound makes her toes curl ever so slightly.

She points to the book which has been the bane of her existence for the past twenty minutes and he reaches up easily to grab it in one large hand. Octavia is a little awestruck watching the muscles in his back work. She wants nothing more than to reach out and touch the strip of skin that’s become visible between the hem of his shirt and the waistband of his jeans. He turns back to her and holds out the book with a shy smile.

“Thanks.” Octavia grins and purposely brushes her fingers against his as she takes the book from his grasp. His touch is warm, fingertips calloused, and she suppresses a shudder at the thought of his hands on her skin.

“No problem.” He looks down and shuffles his feet against the scratchy clue carpet. Octavia bites her lip.

 

He starts to leave, walking back to where he had first appeared.

“Wait!” Octavia calls after him. He turns back around and Octavia thinks she see’s relief cross his face. She looks at him through her lashes and smirks slightly.

“I think maybe you should give me your number,” she says. “You know, just in case I need help getting another book down.” She says innocently and bats her eyelashes for good measure. He’s biting his lip as if to keep his smile in check. He walks back towards her and fishes a phone out of his pocket.

“I’m Lincoln.” She can’t help but grin in triumph.

“Octavia.”

 

They stand there in the library talking while Octavia types her number into his phone. She’s obviously flirting, and he seems shy but he tells her quietly that he’s studying art and he minors in International Relations. When she mentions she’s doing Law he’s genuinely interested and starts talking about social justice and need for better legal aid lawyers. It’s kind of crazy considering the reason she’s studying law to begin with is because of her fucked up childhood. When she was fifteen and her mother died they’d wanted her to go into foster care and the only reason she didn't was because of the legal aid worker. She wore cheap perfume and had a kind voice, and she’d helped Bellamy gain custody of Octavia and keep there broken family of two together. Octavia doesn’t tell Lincoln all that, just smiles and tells him she’s been wanting to go into Legal Aid for a while.

 

The conversation draws to a natural close and she figures she should really go and work on her assignment that’s due on Monday. She already has Lincoln’s number so it’s not like she _needs_ to keep talking, she can leave and text him later. But she doesn't _want_ to leave, she wants to keep listening to him talk about his crazy art professor and the time he went to a Cambodia. It’s only been fifteen minutes and she already likes him better than her last three boyfriends combined.

 

“Well thanks for saving me from what was probably going to result in a broken bone,” she motions to the ridiculously high bookshelf above them.

“Anytime,” he grins. “Although they do have stools for that exact purpose you know?”

“Do I look like the type of girl to give in that easy?”

“No.” He smiles at her like that’s a good thing.

“My brother says I’m too stubborn for my own good.” Which is ridiculous considering Bellamy is the most stubborn person she knows.

“I can live with stubborn.” He seems to realise what he said after a beat and flushes pink. He stutters and scratches the back of his neck, looking away from her. Octavia just bites back a grin.

“Coffee?” she asks. He looks kind of startled and Octavia can’t help but laugh because she didn't think it was possible for someone whose 6 feet tall and covered in tattoo’s to look so _cute_.

“I, uh, I could do coffee.”

“Great!” She practically skips out of the library with him following close behind.

 

(A week later she texts him. _I can’t reach the flour in the top of the pantry. Think you could help??_ He doesn't reply but there’s a knock on her door not long after. She opens it to find him in her doorway smiling down at her. She stands up on her tiptoes and fits her mouth against his. It feels like the beginning.)

**Author's Note:**

> (This is kind of a mess and could do with some actual editing but its almost 2am so *shrugs*)
> 
> Comments and Kudos make my day! 
> 
> Find me on tumblr @ravrnreyes


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